Device and method for providing EMI/RFI shielding

ABSTRACT

An EMI/RFI shield, using very thin conductive film ( 250 ) for attachment to a plastic part ( 12 ), prepared by a process comprising the steps of creating a two dimensional representation of a surface of the plastic part ( 12 ) which is to be shielded, creating at least one pattern ( 254, 256 ) corresponding to a portion of the representation of the surface to be shielded, incising the patterns ( 254, 256 ) into conductive foil material ( 250 ) to create foil pattern parts ( 14, 16 ), detaching the foil pattern parts ( 14, 16 ) from surrounding foil material ( 60 ), shaping the foil pattern parts ( 14, 16 ) into shaped foil parts ( 270, 272 ) and attaching the shaped foil parts ( 270, 272 ) to the plastic part ( 12 ) by use of an expandable fabricating device ( 100 ), which during expansion acts to press the shaped foil part ( 270, 272 ) to the plastic part ( 12 ). A second preferred embodiment of the present invention ( 100 ) is an apparatus for installing thin metallic film ( 250 ) shielding with plastic parts ( 12 ) to create EMI/RFI shields ( 10 ), including an expandable mechanical device ( 100 ), which is expandable by activation of at least one device ( 110, 120 ) which is operated pneumatically, hydraulically or by solenoid devices.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to EMF/RFI shielding forelectronic components and more particularly to an improved shieldedplastic enclosure part and the methods developed to provide thisinternal metal shield within a plastic enclosure. These objects areprovided by the product of the present invention for providing anautomatically shaped and assembled combination of metal foil shieldingand plastic enclosure for encasing products needing EMI/RFI shielding.

BACKGROUND ART

Electronic equipment such as computers, printers, cellular phones, andmost other products require surrounding shielding that serves to blockelectromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI).This shielding serves three major purposes.

First, various components and circuits of electronic equipment arecapable of emitting electromagnetic radiation at a variety offrequencies. In developed countries, which form the most substantialmarkets for these types of devices, governmental agencies have setmaximal acceptable limits for EMI/RFI radiation.

Second, external sources of EMI/RFI radiation can interfere with thefunctioning of sensitive electronic parts within such devices. Thus,EMI/RFI containment is necessary in order for these devices to performto commercially acceptable standards. Although some progress incontaining the emissions is made by adjustments to the circuitsthemselves, the requirement for, and use of, grounded conductivesurfaces, generally involving the product's normal interior enclosuresurfaces, is nearly universal.

Thirdly, grounded conductive interior case surfaces or added shieldsprovide the electronics contained within protection againstelectrostatic discharge. The same shielding that protects against EMIcan serve to provide a grounding path which can protect devices fromthis electrostatic discharge.

In order to provide shielding with respect to EMI/RFI radiation, anumber of different techniques have been used in the prior art. Theseare commonly based on the completion of a Faraday cage, which providesan adequately grounded conductive part surrounding the electronics. Thegrounded conductive surfaces reflect and/or absorb the radiated magneticenergy emitted from the electronics, and serve as a barrier to externalEMI/RFI, and, as a proximal low resistance path for electrostaticdischarges near openings in the product. It is notable that today'shigher frequency electronic circuits require only very thin conductiveshields for containment.

Products could be simply enclosed by grounded sheet metal fabricatedenclosures, however, they are heavy, expensive, and design shapelimited. Inexpensive, light-weight, plastic molded enclosures arepopular enclosure cases for non-EMI shielding purposes. However plastic,by itself, is not suitable for EMI/RFI shielding, as it is generally notelectrically conductive. A workable approach, then, is either tointerpose shielding material between the case and the interiorcomponents or to incorporate shielding material into the case itself.

A variety of conventional techniques have followed one or the other ofthese approaches. A common method for providing an interior metal shieldwithin a plastic enclosure is to coat the inside surfaces of the plasticenclosure parts. This can be done by a number of methods. One ispainting the surface using metal particle suspensions containing, forexample, copper, silver or nickel, by spraying the molded plasticenclosure. Another method is vacuum metalizing, where a metal such asaluminum, is evaporated in a vacuum to form a thin film on the plasticenclosure surfaces. Still another method is electroless plating of theinside surface by metals such as copper followed by nickel. Electrolessplating requires adding a catalyst material to the plastic surfaces tobe plated, and subsequent immersion in a bath of plating chemicals,rinses, more chemicals, etc. Both the inside and outside surfaces can beplated, but for cosmetic reasons, usually just the inside surface isplated.

All of the coating processes employ semi-automatic or fully automatedequipment systems, thus making the process commercially practicable,however, these processes are comparatively expensive in cost per squarefoot, and suffer from various problems. Some of these problems are: a)loose conductive particles which can short circuits, b) limitedconnections within particle matrix inhibits high frequency energy flow,c) poor uniformity of coating particles due to variations in coatingthickness or conductive particle density, or inadequate deposition indeep cavities.

Another problem is the cost, and the handling involved to pack andtransport the plastic parts to a painting or plating facility to receivethe coating. Also, one of the major concerns for plating and spraycoating processes is both air and water environmental pollution with themetal particles and/or solvents involved in coating application.

An alternative method of providing EMI/RFI shielding to molded plasticenclosures is by filling the molding material with conductive fillersuch as carbon or aluminum flakes or fibers prior to molding theenclosure. This, however, does not provide a high conductivity, withoutsacrificing various properties of the plastic. These methods havelimitations, which have severely limited their commercial use. Recently,General Electric attempted to pre-form a metal screen(shield) part andautomatically install it into the mold and inject the plastic around it.

There have also been attempts to shape metalized plastic substrates byvacuum-forming the substrates to fit into plastic enclosures. Thistechnique relies on heating and stretching the metalized plasticsubstrate to shape it. Limitations of the technique, and the requirement(cost per square foot) of a stretchable substrate have curtailed popularuse of the technique.

Other alternative methods of providing EMI/RFI shielding involveinstalling separate metal parts, known as shields, inside the plasticenclosures. The shields, which include sheetmetal, laminated foils,metalized plastic films, metalized fibers, and basic stamped sheet-metalshields. All of these materials have design and economic drawbacks.Laminated foils, such as aluminum/mylar are tenfold the price of justaluminum foil and are installed manually. This manual handling, shippingand installing also limits how delicate a part can be, and the amount offine detail in the laminated part design. However, simplepre-manufactured shields are easily die cut and growing in popularity.Other drawbacks become evident in the packaging, shipping, and handlingwhich can be a source of defects. Stamped metal shields are heavier gagemetal, easily distorted due to handling and can contain sharp edges,which can injure someone working with it. Also, besides the weight,heavier gage metals require punch & die tooling, which takes more timeand money to make.

Therefore there is a need for effective EMI/RFI shielding which has noloose conductive particles, provides good conductive paths with uniformthickness, which can be produced by automated manufacture and isinexpensive to produce. There is also a need for a device which caninstall such shielding in an efficient and automated fashion of layerswhich are so very thin that manual installation may not be practical.There is a further need for a system which incorporates such aninstallation device and which automates the entire process to produceshielded parts in an automated fashion.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved EMI/RFI shielded plastic enclosure, which provides goodconductive paths for EMI/RFI and electro-static discharge.

Another object of the invention is to provide effective EMI/RFIshielding which is of uniform thickness and has no lose conductiveparticles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an EMI/RFIshielded plastic enclosure which can be produced for very intricate anddelicate forms by machine automated processes.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide an EMI/RFIshielded plastic enclosure wherein the thickness of a pre-manufacturedconductive material part can be reduced to levels heretofore notpractical or possible, due to the previous limitations of manualhandling, packaging, and installing of an added part.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an EMI/RFIshielded plastic enclosure wherein the surface conductivity and superiorEMI performance of metal foil is made commercially possible without thecostly plastic or fiber backing of the laminated materials.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a system forproducing EMI/RFI shielded plastic enclosures wherein the shaping of 2dimensional flat foil parts into a 3 dimensional foil parts isaccomplished by tooling which is also used to install the foil partsinto the plastic parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system forproducing EMI/RFI shielded plastic enclosures wherein the tooling usedto shape and install the foil parts is capable of gripping the foils,and also expanding and contracting specific tool features with the foilpart thereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved EMI/RFIshielded plastic enclosure wherein the foil pattern is presented to thetooling as partially incised on a continuous roll of foil patterns, andthe tooling used to shape the foil also contains the mechanism toseparate the foil from the continuous roll of foil parts.

Briefly, one preferred embodiment of the present invention is an EMI/RFIshield, using very thin conductive film for attachment to a plasticpart, prepared by a process comprising the steps of creating a twodimensional representation of a surface of a plastic part which is to beshielded, creating a pattern corresponding to a portion of therepresentation of the surface to be shielded, incising the pattern intoconductive foil material to create a foil pattern part, detaching thefoil pattern part from surrounding foil material, shaping the foilpattern part into a shaped foil part and attaching the shaped foil partto the plastic part by use of an expandable fabricating device, whichduring expansion acts to press the shaped foil part to the plastic part.

A second preferred embodiment of the present invention is an apparatusfor installing thin metallic film shielding in plastic parts to createEMI/RFI shields, including an expandable mechanical device, which isexpandable by activation of at least one device which is operatedpneumatically, hydraulically or by solenoid devices.

A method of manufacture is also disclosed for creating EMI/RFI shields.

An advantage of the present invention is that the forming and mating ofthe foil part to the plastic part is accomplished by a machine automatedmethod.

Another advantage of the invention is that the cost of the material (persquare foot) and the total cost of installing, development time,tooling, parts transportation, performance, reliability, and capitalinvestment is reduced in comparison to coatings and plating.

And, another advantage of the invention is that an option is provided tolater remove the conductive material from the plastic part of theimproved EMI/RFI shielded plastic enclosure, for recycling.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description ofthe best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and theindustrial applicability of the preferred embodiment as described hereinand as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description in conjunction with the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an EMI/RFI shield;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plastic part having the first shapedfoil installed therein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plastic part having both the firstshaped foil and second shaped foil installed therein;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, taken along the line 4—4;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the first and second male and femaletools with outboard skirts;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of one partially segmented male toolshape contracted;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the partially segmented male toolshape of FIG. 6 expanded;

FIG. 8 is an inside isometric view of a male tool shape with aircylinder actuators;

FIG. 9 is an inside isometric view of a male tool shape with linkageactuators;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a fabrication device including onemale tool shape and one female tool shape, showing one configuration ofgripping and expanding air conduits of the male tool shape, togetherwith a typical air supply configuration;

FIG. 11 is a overhead plan view of a linear configuration of afabrication device in a fabrication system including four processingstations;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the fabrication system of FIG. 11,taken through line 12—12;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fabrication system including acontinuous roll of metal foil having multiple die patterns partiallyincised therein;

FIGS. 14A-C are detail views of a roll of foil and enlargements showingregistration marks and retaining tabs;

FIG. 15A is a reduced isometric view of an arrangement of equipment foran alternate one-station embodiment with a plastic part shuttle plateand no female shape tool;

FIGS. 15B-D are cross sectional views of the male shape tools and theplastic part shuttle for the alternate one-station embodiment;

FIGS. 15E-H are isometric views of a one-station embodiment with aplastic part shuttle assembly;

FIG. 16 is an overhead plan view of a multi-station embodiment showingmultiple instances of all tooling;

FIG. 17 is a chart showing the steps of designing and preparing foilpatterns and creating flat foils for shaping and installation into aproduction plastic part; and

FIG. 18 is a chart showing the steps of creating a foil lined productionplastic part.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a device forproviding improved EMI/RFI shielding made by the process disclosedbelow. As illustrated in the various drawings herein, and particularlyin the view of FIG. 1, a form of this preferred embodiment of theinventive device is depicted by the general reference character 10. Itis to be understood that the shield shown represents the shape of ashield only generally, and that many other sizes, shapes andconfigurations of shields are possible.

FIG. 1 shows a generalized EMI/RFI shield 10 in exploded view, prior toassembly. A plastic part 12 is covered with a first flat foil 14 and asecond flat foil 16. The product shield 10 is produced by the novelprocess and system to be described below.

Referring further now to FIG. 1, plastic part 12 is a molded productionplastic part of the general type that is manufactured for thecontainment of electronic equipment such as computers and theirperipherals, cellular telephones, radios, etc. The plastic part 12 isintended to comprise half of the container for an item of electronicequipment, joining together with a second half (not shown) to form aclosed container which will completely (or partially) encase theinternal electronic parts. Plastic part 12 consists of a rectangularfloor 18, a rectangular back panel 20, a rectangular front panel 22 andrectangular side panels 24. Protruding upwardly in the center of floor18 is a circular protrusion 26 having cylindrical sidewalls 28 andcircular top 30. Front panel 22 has incised therein three cutouts, smallcutout 32, large cutout 34 and square cutout 36. Through these cutouts32, 34, 36 communication with the exterior may be had. For example anexterior control panel with various dials and switches (not shown) maycommunicate through cutout 34 while a plate containing interconnections(not shown) for attachment of cables may be found in cutout 32. Likewisea status information device such as a light (not shown) may occupycutout 36.

It is desired to cover all the interior surfaces of plastic part 12 withat least one layer of metal foil such as aluminum foil in order toprovide adequate shielding so as to block electromagneticinterference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI). It is not desiredto provide shielding over cutouts 32, 34, 36 since these cutouts serveas pathways to the exterior of the electronic device. To this end, thesurfaces which must be covered consist of floor 18, back panel 20, frontpanel 22 (except for cutouts), side panels 24, side walls 28 and top 30.For volume production of this covering it is desired that the foil tocover the interior surfaces of plastic part 12 be preferably die cutfrom a continuous roll of metal foil. In order to accomplish coverage ofall the desired interior surfaces of the plastic part 12 with flat foil,it is necessary, in almost all cases, to use more than one layer offoil. (Although in extremely simple cases, such as where the centralprotrusion of FIG. 1 is not found, a single layer of foil may suffice).

The first flat foil 14 is preferably a single die cut foil. It can beseen that the first flat foil 16 will, when shaped, cover substantiallymost of the interior of plastic part 12. Central rectangle 38 will coverrectangular floor 18 and top rectangle 40 will cover rectangular backpanel 20. Likewise bottom rectangle 42 will cover rectangular frontpanel 22, with cutouts 44, 46, 48 corresponding to small cutout 32,large cutout 34 and square cutout 36 respectively. Rectangular sides 50cover rectangular side panels 24. In the center of central rectangle 38is a circular repetition of a tab pattern 52 protruding inwardly. Whentab patterns 52 are bent upwardly at an angle of about 90 degrees, theywill partially cover sidewalls 28.

The second flat foil 16, is, in this instance, circular in shape tomatch the circular protrusion 26 of the plastic part 12. Incised intothe circle are cutouts 54 which extend radially outward a predetermineddistance thereby providing a pattern of teeth 56 extending radiallyoutward. Thus a disk center 58 remains unincised.

FIG. 2 shows the plastic part with the first flat foil 14 already shapedand installed. The rectangular panels 40, 42, 50 were shaped 90 degreesinto vertical wall panels. The circular tab patterns 52 were also shapedupward 90 degrees, which are installed and pressed against thecylindrical wall 28 of the circular protrusion 26. To distinguish theshaped first and second foil parts from the unshaped flat foil parts 14,16, the first and second shaped foil parts will be designated as 270 and272 respectively. The process by which they are shaped is described insome detail below.

FIG. 3 shows the next stage of assembly, with the second flat foil 16,shaped into the second shaped foil 272 installed on the top 30 of thecircular protrusion 26. It can be seen how the teeth 56 of the secondshaped foil 272 are bent down to cover any gaps left by the tab patternof the first shaped foil 270. The teeth 56 may be long enough to alsoextend outwardly in a radial pattern on the surface of the rectangularfloor 18.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, showing the second shapedfoil 272 layer, the first shaped foil 270 layer and the underlyingplastic part 12.

The use of metal foils in conjunction with a plastic part in order tocreate an EMI/RFI shield is not new, as has been discussed in theBackground Art section. However, the device and process for installingthese foils is new and allows for use of foils of thinness and delicacywhich were not practical by manual installation methods. This allows forcost savings on these metal foils, which can be significant. Alsosignificant is the time and labor savings when an automated device andsystem is used to install the foils. One preferred embodiment of thedevice used for such installation is illustrated in FIG. 5 and isreferred to by element number 100. A male shaping tool 110 consists of afirst shape tool 112 and a second shape tool 114 assembled to a commontooling plate 116. Both shape tool 112 and 114 can be constructed of anelastic material such as silicone rubber by a industry common castingmethod that is able to mirror replicate all of the interior details ofplastic part 12. An industry common method of attaching these shapes tothe plate such as screws would be used. A female shaping tool 120 with afirst tool shape 122 and a secondary tool shape 124, replicate theinterior contours of the plastic part 12. An actual plastic part 12, insome cases, may be used as the female tool. A copy of the interiorcontours of the plastic part 12 can also be machined or otherwisere-produced in metal or any desirable material to construct the firstfemale tool shape 122 and second female tool shape 124.

Included with the male shaping tool 110 is a male outboard skirt 130,and female shaping tools 120 includes a female outboard skirt 132, bothof which are constructed from plates with internal cutouts matching theperimeter of the incised patterns 52, 54 of the first flat foil 14 andsecond flat foil 16. The female outboard skirt 132 is fixed in elevationon the female tool 120 just below a section of uncut foil 250. The maleoutboard skirt 130 is mounted to vertically retractable shafts 134 onthe male tool 110, with springs (not shown) providing a downward force.Clamps 136 on the shafts, limit the downward travel of the skirt 130 butdo not prevent the upward travel of this skirt. The skirt 130 ispositioned just above the foil 60, and some distance 140 below the maleshaping tool 110. A thin flexible material such as polyurethane would beattached to skirt 130, to uniformly clamp the foil 250 between theoutboard skirts 130, 132.

A desired capability of the male tool shapes 112, 114 is to expand andcontract the vertical surfaces of the tool shape, primarily laterally.Contracting the tool shape enables the male tool shape to enter or exitthe female tool or the plastic part with less side wall contact.Expanding the male tool shape presses the surfaces of the male toolshape against the interior surfaces of the female tool or the plasticpart. An elastic material will expand laterally when verticallycompressed, and contract again when the compressive force is removed.Partially segmenting the cast benefits this technique.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a cross-section of a male shaping tool 110 mounted ona tooling plate 116 in which the cast has been segmented. FIG. 6 showsthe tool in contracted position and FIG. 7 shows it in expandedposition. The lateral stress in the tool material is reduced whenvertically compressed by enabling sliding movement between the segmentcuts 150. The lateral movement can be somewhat directed as in thisfigure a progressively greater lateral movement will now be nearest thebottom surface of the tool. Also stiffening elements 152 in somesegments and voids 154 or other easily compressible elements in othersegments add additional control of the lateral movements. A springelement 156 is added to insure reliable contraction of the segments. Thespring and stiffener were deleted from the right side of theillustrations for clarity. The changes from the contracted tool shape inFIG. 6 to the expanded tool shape in FIG. 7 illustrate the lateralexpansion of the outer perimeter walls 158 and the inner expansion ofthe inner tool walls 160 towards the center of the tool. The expandedcondition (FIG. 7) is caused by vertically compressing and distortingthe tool shape against a rigid surface such as the floor surface of theplastic part (not shown). Removing this vertical pressure would enablethe male tool shape to return to its normal contracted shape (FIG. 6).This technique could be employed for some designs including the shieldillustrated in the earlier figures, however, other techniques can alsobe employed to laterally expand and contract the male shaping tool 110contours, as will be discussed below.

FIG. 8 shows another method of controlling expansion and contraction ofthe male shaping tool. The addition of separate walls 162, or anadjustable ring element 164, that expand or contract by actuating aircylinders, hydraulic cylinders, or solenoids 166 connected to thesemoveable elements is possible.

In FIG. 9, adding mechanical linkages 168 with springs (not shown),which convert the vertical movement of the tool, to also produce alateral movement of the inner and outer side wall surfaces of the toolshape is yet another method. The lateral expanding movement of themechanical linkage works in the same way as the stiffeners 152 in thesegmented tool shape (FIG. 7). When the tool shape stops its downwardtravel by coming in contact with a rigid element such as the floor ofthe female tool or the plastic part, further downward travel of themechanical linkages 168 produce lateral expanding movements of the wall162 and ring segments 164 attached to the linkages. As the verticalmovement is reversed, the mechanical linkages 168 return to theretracted position with the aid of springs (not shown) before the toolshape begins to withdraw.

Still another method is to controllably expand or contract hollowconduits cast within the tool shape. FIG. 10 shows a sectional view ofthe male shaping tool 110 having hollow channels or expanding conduits170 shown inside the cast tool. The expanding conduits 170 areconstructed of a removable material (wax for example) inside a sample orreplica of the plastic part 12. A casting of the inside of plastic part12, with the conduits constructed therein, is made, then the conduitmaterial is removed (with heat for example) leaving the hollow conduitpatterns in the tool. The male shaping tool 110, shown above female tool120, will contain various conduits connected through tubing and fittingsto controlled solenoid valves 182, 184, 186, and then to sources of airpressure greater than 190, and less than 192, atmospheric pressure usingcommon hardware, solenoid valves, and air supply pumps. Either manual orautomatic actuation of the valves can be utilized. Expanding conduits170 are interconnected via a first master conduit 172 and furtherconnected to a first control valve 182. The expanding conduits 170 maybe dedicated to expanding and contracting specific areas of the firstmale shape 112 contours. Gripping conduits 174 may be dedicated togripping the first foil pattern, and are connected by a second masterconduit 176 to a second solenoid valve 184. Also, additional foilgripping conduits 178 are interconnected via third master conduit 180and then to third valve 186. In a similar manner, the secondary maleshape may include gripping conduits grip the secondary foil pattern, andexpanding conduits are dedicated to expanding and contracting theinternal cylindrical wall.

Grooves in the male shaping tool provide a defined location to absorbthe expanding and contracting movements in the tools and the foilthereon. For the plastic part 12 shown earlier, an additional groove maybe added around the circular protrusion.

The fabricating device 100 including male shaping tool 110 describedabove may be included in a larger overall system for producing EMI/RFIshields 10. FIGS. 11-13 show such a system 200 in which four processingstations or positions are designated as station one 202, station two204, station three 206 and station four 208. Fabricating device 100operates on the processing stations 202-208 in ascending numericalorder, and in the figures, proceeds from right to left. The fabricatingdevice 100 may be designed to travel along rails or similar mechanismsto stop at each station 202-208 in turn, or the fabricating device maybe fixed while the “stations” are located on a moving bed so that eachstation in turn is positioned beneath the fabricating device. In thefirst preferred embodiment discussed, it will be assumed that thefabricating device travels and the stations are stationary.

A partial frame 210 is shown describing a straight-line sequence whereonat station one 202, the foil patterns are fed and aligned, and the maleand female shaping tools cooperate to shape the foil patterns into foilparts. The fixative application fixture 220 is shown in station two 204,and station three 206 is not active, but could provide additional foilpatterns for example. Station four 208 locates the nest which locate theplastic part. Various items are not shown for clarity are the maleshaping tool, the actual supporting structure, the air pumps, tubing,wires, motors, sensors, dispenser mechanism, the controller, and themale tool shuttle. The male tool shuttle provides for the mounting ofthe male tool and in cooperation with frame rails (not shown) providesthe mechanism of repositioning and locating the male tooling to eachposition.

In FIG. 12, station one 202 includes the fabricating device 100 which isshown with mechanisms to allow automatic feeding of metal foil from acontinuous roll. FIG. 11 and particularly FIG. 13, show a basic rollerarrangement for automatic feeding a continuous foil material 250 throughthe process. A roll 252 of continuously incised first foil patterns 254and second foil patterns 256 is mounted on a powered mandrel 258 (motornot shown). The foil material 250 is fed down to an idler roller 260shown in a down position, The foil material 250 continues up and throughthe front idler rollers 262, then across station one and through theprimary drive 264 (motor not shown) and pinch rollers 266. The excessfoil material can be fed down to a rear take up roller 268.

FIG. 14A-C show detail views of the foil 250 and the first and secondincised patterns 254, 256. FIG. 14A shows a length of the continuousfoil material 250 and registration marks 290. FIG. 14B shows a singlesection of this material with the first 254 and second 256 foil patternsand registration marks 290. FIG. 14C is a detail view of a portion ofthe second foil pattern 256, showing retaining tabs 292.

Returning now to FIGS. 11-13, when a signal to advance the foil patternsis given, the primary drive roller 264 in conjunction with the foilpinch rollers 266 starts, and the foil material 250 is advanced acrossposition one 202, until the next set of registration marks 290 (FIG.14A) begins to trigger the registration sensors (not shown). Theregistration sensors then send signals to the controller which in turnsends signals to the primary drive roller motor 264; first to slow down,and then to stop precisely on a signal. During this foil feed cycle, thelight weight idler roller 260 rises as the foil advances, which causes asignal to the controller from idler position sensor or switch (notshown) to start the powered mandrel 258. As the powered mandrel 258rotates the roll 252 and releases foil material 250, the idler roller260 will lower back down, tripping an idler position sensor (not shown)and causing the powered mandrel 258 to stop.

Commonly, successive layers of shaped foil must be installed. As shownin FIGS. 15A-D, as well as FIGS. 11-14, assembly is begun with a newplastic part 12 being set into a nest 280 in station four 208. The rollof metallic foil 252 is placed in position in station one 202, andadvanced until alignment of the registration marks 290 with theequipment sensors is achieved whereupon the first and second foilpatterns 254, 256 are aligned with the composite male tool 110. Thespecially designed male tool 110 includes a first male shape tool 112and a second male shape tool 114, and there are corresponding femalefirst and second shape tools 122 and 124. In a single downward motion,the male tool 110 first clamps the foil material 250 just outside thepatterns, then contacts and grips the flat foil patterns 254, 256between the outboard skirts 130, 132, then contacts and grips the foilpatterns 254, 256 utilizing circuits 174, then completes excision of theflat patterns 254, 256 from the roll of foil patterns 252 by breakingthe retaining tabs 292. As the male tool shapes 112 and 114 enter thefemale tool shapes 122, 124, the foil patterns 254, 256 fold and conformto the female tool shapes 122, 124. The shaped foil parts 270, 272,retained on the male tool shapes 112, 114, are then repositioned, andtreated with adhesive at station two 204. The male tool 110 isrepositioned, and installs the second shaped metal foil 272 into theplastic part 12 in station four 208, to which it will adhere, andwithdraws. Then the male tool 110 repositions and inserts the firstshaped metal foil 270 into the plastic part 12, to which it will adhere,and withdraws. The male tool 110 would then return to the first station202, and the finished plastic part 12 is removed.

It is also possible that the shaping of both the first flat foil 254 andsecond flat foil 256 can be accomplished simultaneously in station one202. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 12, the male tool 110 starts just above the foilpatterns, and the female tool 120 is fixed just below the foil patterns254, and 256. When actuated, the male tool 110 moves downward and themale outboard skirt 130 contacts the foil material 250 just outside thepatterns 254 and 256, clamping it firmly to the female outboard skirt132. Further downward travel causes the bottom surfaces of the first andsecond male shapes 112, 114 to contact the foil patterns 254, 256,whereupon the gripping circuits 174, 178 (see also FIG. 10) connected tolow pressure 192, grip the flat foil surfaces. Further downward travelof the male tooling pushing on the foil patterns causes the retainingtabs 292 on the foil patterns 254, 256 to break, thus excising the foilpattern from the roll 252 of foil patterns. Further yet downward travelengages the male tool 110 into the female tool 120 folding, bending, orotherwise forcing the foil to conform to the space between the male andcorresponding female tool surfaces, thereby shaping the foil into boththe first and second shaped foil parts 270, 272.

Referring again now also to FIG. 10, when the male tool 110 is fullyengaged in the female tool 120, conduits 170 would be expanded brieflyto press the foil parts 270, 272 against the inner surfaces of thefemale tool 120, and the additional gripping conduit 178 would beconnected to low pressure source 192, gripping the shaped foil surfaces.Next, the conduits 170 are contracted (connected to low pressure source192) to aid in the release of the foil part from the female tool. Excessfoil material may gather in grooves provided for this purpose.

The same technique is also applicable to shaping the circular tabpatterns 52 against cylindrical side walls 28 of the plastic part 12,and to the secondary foil part 16 shaping where conduits are alternatelyexpanded and then contracted to shape the foil teeth 56 against thesurfaces of the second female shape 124. Also, although only the maletool 110 is shown as having movement, it is possible, in cases wherecomplex manipulations are required, to also provide the female tool 120with similar properties of flexibility, cavities, etc. so that it canmove cooperatively with male tool 110.

In station two 204, the fabricated tooling for the adhesive applicationfixture 220, is shown in FIGS. 11-13 as a fixture similar to the femaleshaping tool, which would transfer a typically liquid adhesiveactivator, or liquid adhesive to the first and second shaped foil parts270, 272. The liquid would travel from a industry common dispenser (notshown) through tubing and fittings (not shown) to locations where itwould be transferred through the fixture to the foil parts by a devicesuch as a spray nozzle, or preferably a porous foam lining 274, andporous foam pads 276. The liquid dispenser would dispense the liquid tothe porous foam lining on each assembly cycle, thus keeping the padsadequately supplied with the liquid so that a desired amount wouldtransfer to the each foil part as it came into contact with the porousfoam lining and pads.

After shaping of the foil parts 270, 272 the fabricating device 100moves to station two 204. The first and second male shapes 112 and 114are extended into the adhesive application fixture 220, where adhesiveor other retention device is deposited onto the outside surfaces of bothfoil parts 270, 272 from contact with the porous foam features 274 and276. The male tool forms 112 and 114 and are then retracted, and themale tool 110 is repositioned to position four 208, with the secondaryfoil part 272 in alignment with the plastic part 10.

In station four 208, fabricating the plastic part nest 280, requires theaddition of any practical device to accurately locate and retain one ormore plastic parts, such as the six locating pins 282 shown with plasticpart 12 installed (FIG. 11). Additional retention such as clamps on theedges of the part (not shown) might be required.

The male shape tool 114 moves down fully into the plastic part 12,pressing the foil part surface against the plastic part surface. Theconduit 170 (FIG. 10) would be briefly connected to a positive pressuresource 190, to press the teeth features 56 of secondary foil part 272onto the cylindrical wall surface 28 of plastic part 12. Grippingconduits 178 would -also be connected to a positive pressure source 190,releasing their grip on the foil part 272, and forcing air between themale tool surfaces and the foil part 272. Then conduit 170 would beswitched back (connected to low pressure source 192) to contract themale tool surface away from the foil part surface, and the toolwithdrawn, leaving the secondary foil part 272 installed into theplastic part 12.

Then repositioning the male tool 110 again aligns the first foil part270 with the plastic part 12 (already containing the secondary foil part272). The male tool 110 extends down so the first male tool shape 112moves fully into the plastic part 12 until the foil part surface isseated against the floor surface 18 of the plastic part 12. Then theconduits 170 would be briefly connected to positive pressure source 190to seat the first foil part 270 surfaces onto the plastic part 12surfaces and tabs 52 onto the overlapping the teeth 56 (see FIG. 3). Thegripping conduits 174, and 178 would release, by connecting to thehigh-pressure source 190, and connecting conduits 170 to low pressuresource 192, the male tool 110 is contracted. The tool is then withdrawnfrom the part, leaving the first foil part 270 installed into theplastic part 12. The male tool 110 would then return to position one202. All of the desired surfaces of the plastic part 12 are now coveredby the combination of both foil-parts 272 and 270 (FIG. 3) whichincludes some overlapping, primarily of the finger patterns 52 of thefirst foil part 270 over the teeth 56 of the secondary foil pattern 272on the circular walls 28.

Thus two successive layers of shaped metal foil with some overlapping ofthe foil have cooperated to cover the inner surfaces of plastic part 12,providing EMI/RFI shielding that can be thinner, lighter, less costly,durable, and can be inexpensively applied at a plastics molding facilitywith automated equipment. Also, movement of the male tool 110 into thefemale tool 120 is preferred, but does not preclude moving the femaletool onto the male tool instead.

Many variations upon this basic process are possible. For instance,although the second shaped foil 272 has been shown and described asbeing installed in the plastic part 12 prior to the first shaped foil270 it is clear that the order of installation may be reversed whilestill maintaining the advantages of this invention.

The use of hollow conduits, their shape, and method of constructionwithin the male tool shapes are exemplary only. In practice, severalshapes of hollow conduits including a substantially hollow tool shapecan be used. Other methods of creating hollow conduits, such asinstalling tubing into the tool casting can also be used. Furthermore,other techniques can also be used to create the desired lateralmovements.

The shapes of both the foils and the interior surface of the plasticpart shown in these figures are exemplary only. In practice a widevariety of shapes of varying degrees of complexity are expected and mayrequire application of any number of individual layers of foilssuccessively in order to achieve complete coverage.

There are several variations to the basic process described herein:

In some cases an interim step to add adhesive is not employed such thatafter the foil parts are shaped in position one 202, they arere-positioned at position four 208 and installed into the plastic part.In other cases the foil material could be directly shaped and installedinto the plastic part in one process location 202, and in anotherextreme, two female shaping tools and two shaping steps may be requiredfor one foil part. The spare position 206 could be utilized in thiscircumstance.

FIGS. 15A-H show details of an alternative embodiment in which it isdesired to shape and install the foil material in one continuousmovement. A single position equipment design (FIG. 15A-D) can beutilized. In this case, the plastic part 12 itself substitutes for thefemale tool. In FIGS. 15B-G, a shuttle assembly 298, with shuttle plate300 containing the plastic part nest features, is mounted below thefemale outboard skirt 132, such that a plastic part 12 installed ontothe shuttle plate 300 can be shuttled into the same place (FIGS. 15C,15F) as the first female tool shape was previously located to receivethe first foil pattern 254. This will be referred to as the first foilsubstation 306. It is then located in the same place (FIGS. 15D, 15G),as the secondary female tool shape was located to receive the secondaryfoil pattern 256 which will be designated as second foil substation 308.In this embodiment, an array of orifices or nozzles 302 are positionedto spray an adhesive activator, such as water, on to the underside ofthe foil patterns when the shuttle moves the plastic part 12 from theload position (FIGS. 15B, 15E), to the first foil substation 306 (FIGS.15C, 15F), and then to the second foil substation 308 (FIGS. 15D, 15G).Utilizing a pre-applied and dried adhesive on the foil, this methodwould activate the adhesive just prior to installing the foil part intothe plastic part. The male tool shapes 112 and 114 would be activatedsequentially, as the plastic part 12 is positioned by individualactuators 294, 296 (FIG. 15B). The enlarged view FIG. 15H, shows whererollers 304 are added to the female outboard skirt 132. As the foilpattern 254 is advanced downward by the male shape tool 112, theexternal rectangular panels 38, 40 and 42 would be shaped by the rollersas the male shape tool 112, with the foil pattern 254 gripped thereon,passed through the opening described by the inside surfaces of therollers 304. This pre-shaping of the exterior surfaces of the foil partenables the activation of the additional gripping circuit 178 (FIG. 10),and subsequently, the activation of the contraction conduit 170 whichthen contracts the shaped foil part prior to installing the foil partinto the plastic part.

It is a further option to process multiple parts simultaneously, byproviding multiple instances of the foil patterns along with multipleinstances of the other required tooling as illustrated in FIG. 16. Thefabricating device 100 containing two male shaping tools 110 are shownin station three 206 for ease of viewing. Two plastic parts 12 can beseen in station four 208, each in a nest 280. Two adhesive applicationfixtures 220 can be seen in station two 204, and a foil roll 250 withtwo sets of first and second foil patterns 254, 256 can be seenpositioned over two female shaping tools 120 in station one. Of coursethe number of multiples possible is not limited to the two shown.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show the general steps involved in the development of asystem for producing EMI/RFI shielded parts. There are involved twocooperating processes. The steps of the first process are set forth inFIG. 17, beginning with design and reproduction of the flat patterns infoil material, along with the design and fabrication of custom toolingfor installing the foil patterns into the production part. The second isthe actual installation of successive layers of shaped foil into theplastic part set forth in FIG. 18. FIG. 17 describes the general stepsof fabrication. FIG. 18 describes an alternate method which utilizes thesame first processing steps 1700-1750 but with the female tool 120removed and the adhesive application fixture 220 replaced with a spraysystem providing an adhesive activator.

It is yet another option to fully automate this method by integrating acontinuous supply of plastic parts, by conveyor for example, andproviding a device to position the next part, and eject the finishedpart. These added requirements could be readily accommodated by usingthe male tool capabilities to grip parts, or redesigning the partpositioning nest to cooperate with a conveyor feed.

Although the above describes adhesive being dispensed onto the foilparts, other retention methods are equally preferred. It is, forexample, practical to dispense adhesive onto the flat patterns that willdry before the patterns are rolled or otherwise repackaged, or to buythe foil material with a coating of dried adhesive thereon. In thesecases, dispensing an adhesive activator, not the adhesive, would besubstituted.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in theart that a number of changes, modifications, or alterations to theinvention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from thespirit of the present invention. For example, this method described in alinear sequence is also commonly arranged with a rotary index drive suchthat the repositioning of the male tool with: the female tool; theretention device fixture; and the part nest fixture is accomplishedrotationally. All such changes, modifications and alterations shouldtherefore be seen as within the scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, the above disclosure is not to be considered as limitingand the appended claims are to be interpreted as encompassing the truespirit and the entire scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present EMI/RFI shield 10 is well suited for application inelectronic equipment such as computers, printers, cellular phones, andmost other products that require surrounding shielding to blockelectromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI).Various components and circuits of electronic equipment are capable ofemitting electromagnetic radiation at a variety of frequencies. Indeveloped countries, governmental agencies have set maximal acceptablelimits for EMI/RFI radiation. Shielding 10 as produced by the presentinvention can be very valuable to manufacturers who must comply withthese acceptable limits.

In addition, external sources of EMI/RFI radiation can interfere withthe functioning of sensitive electronic parts within such devices. Thus,EMI/RFI containment is necessary in order for these devices to performto commercially acceptable standards. Although some progress incontaining the emissions is made by adjustments to the circuitsthemselves, the requirement for, and use of, grounded conductivesurfaces, generally involving the product's normal interior enclosuresurfaces, is nearly universal. By providing efficient shielding 10 atreduced cost, the overall cost of manufacture is greatly reduced. Whenconsidering how many devices are manufactured each year that requiresuch shielding, any reduction in cost and/or time involved inmanufacture will present a major savings to the electronics industry.

Grounded conductive interior case surfaces or added shields also providethe electronics contained within protection against electro-staticdischarge. The same shielding 10 that protects against EMI can serve toprovide a grounding path which can protect devices from thiselectro-static discharge. Components that are susceptible to damage fromthis discharge are often complex and therefore costly to replace. Theshielding 10 of the present invention can thus provide major savings tomanufacturers or consumers who are spared the replacement costs of thesesensitive components.

Prior devices and processes have provided EMI/RFI shielding, but theseproduce some problems of several sorts. Components that are coated withsprays of conductive material can produce loose conductive particlesthat can short circuits. In addition, limited connections within theparticle matrix can inhibit high frequency energy flow. There can alsobe poor uniformity of coating particles due to variations in coatingthickness or conductive particle density, or inadequate deposition indeep cavities.

Another problem is the cost, and the handling involved to pack andtransport the plastic parts to a painting or plating facility to receivethe coating. Also, one of the major concerns for plating and spraycoating processes is both air and water environmental pollution with themetal particles and/or solvents involved in coating application.

The present invention solves these problems by producing highlyreliable, very uniform shielding which requires no special platingfacilities to install. Since the conductive layer is in the form of oneor more layers, which are mechanically applied, there are no chemicalprocesses involved, and no exposure to toxins and solvents that aregenerally found in plating operations.

The entire operation is easily automated, thus reducing labor costs andsince the foil layers can be made very thin, and applied very uniformly,the material necessary to produce a shield 10 can be very much reduced,with accompanying cost reduction. In addition, the system of fabrication200 can be used with metal foil of such thinness that handling andmanipulation by human hands may be difficult or even impossible.

For the above, and other, reasons, it is expected that the shield 10,process and system of manufacture of the present invention will havewidespread industrial applicability. Therefore, it is expected that thecommercial utility of the present invention will be extensive and longlasting.

What is claimed is:
 1. An EMI/RFI shield, using very thin conductivefilm for attachment to a plastic part, prepared by a process comprisingthe steps of: A) creating a two dimensional representation of a surfaceof a plastic part which is to be shielded; B) creating at least onepattern corresponding to a portion of said representation of saidsurface to be shielded; C) incising said at least one pattern intoconductive foil material to create at least one foil pattern part; D)detaching said at least one foil pattern part from surrounding foilmaterial; E) shaping said at least one foil pattern part into at leastone shaped foil part; and F) attaching said at least one shaped foilpart to said plastic part by use of an expandable fabricating device,which during expansion acts to press said shaped foil part to saidplastic part.
 2. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; saidexpandable fabricating device in process step F) includes mechanismswhich are selected from the group consisting of pneumatically operateddevices, solenoid operated devices, mechanical linkages, hydraulicallyoperated devices and material which expands in lateral directions whenvertically compressed.
 3. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; saidexpandable fabricating device in process step F) includes at least oneexpandable male tool.
 4. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; saidexpandable fabricating device in process step F) includes at least oneexpandable female tool.
 5. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; saidexpandable fabricating device in process step F) includes at least onegripping conduit, which is supplied with air at less than atmosphericpressure, by which foil and shaped foil parts can be gripped andtransported.
 6. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; said expandablefabricating device in process step F) includes at least one shapingmeans, by which the shaping of said at least one foil pattern into saidat least one shaped part in process step E) may be performed.
 7. AnEMI/RFI shield as in claim 6 wherein; said shaping means is a maleshaping tool which cooperates with an element chosen from the groupconsisting of a female shaping tool, rollers on a female tool skirt, anda representative plastic part.
 8. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1wherein; said expandable fabricating device in process step F) includesat least one detaching means, by which the detaching said of said foilpattern part from surrounding foil material in process step D) may beperformed.
 9. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; said foilmaterial is provided in a roll, which is automatically provided to saiddetachment means.
 10. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein processstep F) includes: 1) applying an adhesive to surfaces of said shapedfoil part; 2) positioning said shaped foil part in proper relation withsaid plastic part; and 3) activating said expandable fabricating deviceso that said shaped foil part is pressed into contact with said plasticpart.
 11. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1 wherein; said expandablefabricating device is movable to multiple stations to conduct processingsteps at each of said multiple stations.
 12. An EMI/RFI shield as inclaim 1 wherein; said expandable fabricating device is stationary and ashuttle device is provided to move parts to said stationary expandablefabricating device for processing.
 13. An EMI/RFI shield as in claim 1wherein: said expandable fabricating device in process step F) includesat least one shaping tool including a gripping device which grips a foilpattern part upon which adhesive has been applied and which engages aproduction plastic part and expands, thus shaping the foil pattern partand attaching it to said production plastic part in one combined step,after which the expandable fabricating device releases the shaped foilpart, contracts and withdraws from the plastic part.
 14. An apparatusfor installing thin metallic film shielding in plastic parts to createEMI/RFI shields, comprising: an expandable fabricating device, which isexpandable by activation of at least one mechanism which is selectedfrom the group consisting of pneumatically operated devices, solenoidoperated devices, hydraulically operated devices and material withexpands in lateral directions when vertically compressed, where saidexpandable fabricating device includes at least one expandable maletool.
 15. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein; said expandablefabricating device includes at least one expandable female tool.
 16. Anapparatus as in claim 14 wherein; said expandable fabricating device issegmented to enhance lateral movement of the device.
 17. An apparatus asin claim 14 wherein; said expandable fabricating device includesstiffening elements to control directionality of expansion.
 18. Anapparatus as in claim 14 wherein; said expandable fabricating deviceincludes at least one gripping conduit, which is supplied with air atless than atmospheric pressure, by which foil and shaped foil parts canbe gripped and transported.
 19. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein;said expandable fabricating device includes at least one shaping means,by which the shaping of said at least one foil pattern into said atleast one shaped part may be performed.
 20. An apparatus as in claim 19wherein; said shaping means is a male shaping tool which cooperates withan element chosen from the group consisting of a female shaping tool,rollers on a female tool skirt, and a representative plastic part. 21.An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein; said expandable fabricatingdevice,includes at least one detaching means, by which the detachingsaid of a foil pattern part from surrounding foil material may beperformed.
 22. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein; said expandablefabricating device is movable to multiple stations to conduct processingsteps at each of said multiple stations.
 23. An apparatus as in claim 14wherein; said expandable fabricating device is stationary and a shuttledevice is provided to move parts to said stationary expandablefabricating device for processing.
 24. An apparatus as in claim 14wherein; said expandable fabricating device cooperates with an automatedfoil dispensing device which automatically positions foil parts forprocessing by said expandable fabricating device.
 25. An apparatus as inclaim 14 wherein; said expandable fabricating device cooperates with anadhesive dispensing device, which applies adhesive to at least onesurface of said shaped foil parts before said expandable fabricatingdevice presses said shaped foil parts to said plastic parts.
 26. Amethod of manufacturing an EMI/RFI shield having a very thin conductivefilm attached to a plastic part, comprising the steps of: A) creating atwo dimensional representation of a surface of a plastic part which isto be shielded; B) creating at least one foil pattern part correspondingto a portion of said representation of said surface to be shielded; C)positioning said at least one foil pattern part and said plastic partfor processing; D) shaping said at least one foil pattern part into atleast one shaped foil part; and E) attaching said at least one shapedfoil part to said plastic part by use of an expandable fabricatingdevice, which during expansion acts to press said shaped foil part tosaid plastic part.
 27. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26 whereinprocess step B) includes: 1) incising said at least one patternrepeatedly in a continuous roll of conductive foil material to create aplurality of foil pattern parts; and 2) detaching each of said pluralityof foil pattern part from the continuous roll.
 28. A method ofmanufacturing as in claim 26 wherein process step C) includes: 1)gripping said at least one foil pattern part by a gripping deviceincluded on said expanding fabricating device of step E; and 2)transporting said at least one foil pattern part to a processinglocation.
 29. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26 wherein processstep D) includes: 1) providing a male shaping tool which cooperates withan element chosen from the group consisting of a female shaping tool, arepresentative part, or rollers on a female tool skirt.
 30. A method ofmanufacturing as in claim 26 wherein process step E) includes: 1)applying an adhesive to surfaces of said shaped foil part; 2)positioning said shaped foil part in proper relation with said plasticpart; and 3) activating said expandable fabricating device so that saidshaped foil part is pressed into contact with said plastic part.
 31. Amethod of manufacturing as in claim 26 wherein process step E)includes: 1) activating a dried adhesive which has been pre-applied tosurfaces of said shaped foil part; 2) positioning said shaped foil partin proper relation with said plastic part; and 3) activating saidexpandable fabricating device so that said shaped foil part is pressedinto contact with said plastic part.
 32. A method of manufacturing as inclaim 26 wherein said expandable fabricating device includes saidgripping device, comprising the further step of: F) disengaging saidexpandable fabricating device by releasing said gripping device,contracting said expandable fabricating device and withdrawing fromcontact with said shaped foil part.
 33. A method of manufacturing as inclaim 26 wherein: said expandable fabricating device is movable tomultiple stations to conduct processing steps at each of said multiplestations.
 34. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26 wherein: saidexpandable fabricating device is stationary and a shuttle device isprovided to move parts to said stationary expandable fabricating devicefor processing.
 35. A method of manufacturing as in claim 26 wherein:said expandable fabricating device is at least one shaping toolincluding a gripping device which grips a foil pattern part upon whichadhesive has been applied and which engages a production plastic partand expands, thus shaping the foil pattern part and attaching it to saidproduction plastic part in one combined step, after which the expandablefabricating device releases the shaped foil part, contracts andwithdraws from the plastic part.